1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a communications network, and in particular to a registration server and to other components implementing a programmable interface to resources in such a network.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, advanced communications services in a telecommunications network have been implemented using an IN (intelligent network) architecture. In such an architecture, the control logic and various network resources required to implement advanced services are tightly integrated with the communications network, and in general are intended to be run under the control of the network operator. Such an approach allows robust large-scale applications to be implemented. However, the architecture tends to be relatively inflexible, so that developing and deploying new services can be time-consuming. In addition, it can be difficult to make network resources available to service providers other than the network operator, while maintaining the security and integrity of the network.
Recently, there has been interest in developing communications applications using computing platforms located at the edge of the network and typically operated under the direct control of the service provider. However, since such CTI (computer telephony integration) applications have only indirect and limited access to the capabilities of the network, this approach often results in inefficient use of network resources.
It has been proposed to implement communications networks that include an application programming interface (API) between service components embedded in the network, and applications running at the edge of the network. Such an approach combines the benefits of the economies of scale and of reliability offered by conventional network intelligence architectures, with the flexibility and accessibility of the edge of network approach.
A network including an API as described above has been developed by the present applicant in conjunction with other members of the Parlay Organisation. The Parlay Organisation has published a specification for the API together with resources to aid implementation. An overview of the Parlay API is contained in the document “Parlay API Business Benefits White Paper”, Parlay Organisation, Jun. 11, 1999, Published at www.parlay.org. Versions 1.2 and 2 of the Parlay API specification are also available from the same site.
In implementing a communications network with a service API, a registration server is used to control access by edge-of-network service applications to components in the network that provide service resources. The registration server may be used to carry out an authentication process in which the identity of a service application, and the authority of the owner of that application to access network resources, is checked, for example, using a digital signature, and a database listing authorised users of the network. The registration server may also be used for the process of discovery, in which, in response to a request from a service application, the registration server provides details of available network resources. Subsequently, the registration server registers a service application with one or more services resources. This may be done by communicating to the service application the logical identity and physical address of a service manager object on a particular service node and/or communicating to the service manager object data identifying the corresponding service application.